1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for cleaning molten metal, in particular molten steel. More particularly, the present invention relates to cleaning molten metal while pouring the molten metal from a metallurgical vessel with ceramic filters mounted in supporting refractory bodies.
2. Background of the Invention
It has lately become more important to properly clean molten steel. The goal of the cleaning is to remove non-metallic impurities, such as carbides and oxides, from the molten steel. Well known ceramic filters, based for example on zirconium, have been used to clean to molten steel. To date, expensive filter systems, such as that disclosed in DE-PS 3 700 107, have been used to clean molten steel. These systems are disposed in the flow path of the molten metal or molten steel, and have filters which can be replaced only with tedious interruptions of the casting or pouring process. Indeed, the interruptions of the casting or pouring are so troublesome that in many situations the filtration of the molten metal is entirely dispensed with.